CNBC

CNBC's David Faber reports on the impending acquisition of his network's parent company. "General Electric and Comcast are now expected to announce a deal over GE's NBC Universal unit on Nov. 16, not next week as originally thought," Faber writes on CNBC.com. GE will shed 51% of NBC Universal to Comcast and hold the remaining 49%.

CNBC Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell wrote yesterday in response to American runner Meb Keflezighi's victory in the New York City marathon:

Given our disappointing results, embracing Keflezighi is understandable. But Keflezighi's country of origin is Eritrea, a small country in Africa. He is an American citizen thanks to taking a test and living in our country.

Nothing against Keflezighi, but he's like a ringer who you hire to work a couple hours at your office so that you can win the executive softball league.

The post drew criticism online and Henry Blodget at Business Insider called the sentiment "seriously disturbing." The New York Times even pointed to the blog posting in its report on the "sports dispute [that] erupted online, fraught with racial and nationalistic components."

Now, Rovell has apologized for the comment, writing, "Let me be clear: Meb Keflezighi is an American and any suggestion otherwise is wrong." He also wrote:

It turns out, Keflezighi moved to the United States in time to develop at every level in America. So Meb is in fact an American trained athlete and an American citizen and he should be celebrated as the American winner of the NYC Marathon. That makes a difference and makes him different from the "ringer" I accused him of being. Meb didn't deserve that comparison and I apologize for that.

According to Silicon Alley Insider, CNBC this morning "reported that Microsoft had lowered its REVENUE guidance on its conference call. Not surprisingly, the stock immediately tanked. But what Microsoft actually lowered was EXPENSE guidance."

That distinction is a big one (apparently). CNBC's Jim Goldman reported the original news and the "clarification" several minutes later.

After the jump, you can see a series of videos cataloging the incident.

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CNBC Asia Pacific announced a strategic partnership with SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System) today. CNBC and SBS plan to jointly launch a new 24-hour Korean business news channel, branded SBS-CNBC, in January 2010. SBS-CNBC will focus on Korea’s daily business news, complemented with international coverage from CNBC bureaus around the world.

First on TVNewser: CNBC correspondent Rebecca Jarvis has left the network and insiders tell us CBS News may be her next stop.

CNBC spokesman Brian Steel confirms with TVNewser, "Rebecca is no longer with CNBC, and we wish her the best."

Jarvis, who was the runner-up on season four of "The Apprentice", joined CNBC in 2006. She was last seen on CNBC Sept. 18.

If Jarvis is to join CBS News, it may be a few months before she's on the air as she sits out a standard non-compete clause in her contract.

The Business Insider reports CNBC's Charlie Gasparino won't be appearing on his former colleague Dylan Ratigan's MSNBC show to promote his new book, "The Sellout: How Three Decades of Wall Street Greed and Government Mismanagement Destroyed the Global Financial System."

"It seems the bad blood between Dylan Ratigan and CNBC executives isn't water under the bridge," writes John Carney.

Ratigan left CNBC in March and ended up staying with the company, joining MSNBC in May.

No comment from either MSNBC or CNBC, but insiders from both networks tell TVNewser it is their intent to keep CNBC talent off Ratigan's show for viewers who may confuse the networks. CNBC's talent appears on most other MSNBC shows. CNBC's Melissa Francis even co-hosts an afternoon hour on MSNBC.

As for Ratigan and Gasparino, they have a past at CNBC which included this bizarre on-air exchange last October.

CNBC's Italian Money Honey, Maria Bartiromo is once again hosting this year's Columbus Day Parade in New York City, shown locally on WNBC, which means she'll have to put up sitting next to co-host Joe Piscopo for the next few hours.

Could be worse... could be Dylan Ratigan.

We kid!

> More: Speaking of parades: did NBC force the cancellation of the cast of a popular FOX show from appearing in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade? TMZ thinks so...

Beginning tonight, the MidnightET re-air of CNBC's "Fast Money" will go away. In its place, more documentary programming. The re-air of "Mad Money" remains in the 11pmET slot. The 8pmET re-air of "Fast Money" was replaced with "CNBC Reports", which two weeks ago was canceled to make way for documentaries. A half hour "Fast Money" will continue to air Friday nights at 8pmET, followed by "Options Action" at 8:30.

Some of the recent CNBC documentaries to fill the Midnight slot this week include "Porn: Business of Pleasure," "Marijuana Inc: Inside America's Pot Industry" and "Big Mac: Inside the McDonald's Empire."

• Related, NYTimes: CNBC Recycling Business-Themed "Biography" Programs to Fill Out Primetime Lineup...

This morning on Squawk Box, Joe Kernen played contrarian to the New York Times' David Brooks. Brooks' column today, titled "The Wizard of Beck," is "the story of media mavens who claim to represent a hidden majority but who in fact represent a mere niche - even in the Republican Party." Brooks writes:

Just months after the election and the humiliation, everyone is again convinced that Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity and the rest possess real power. And the saddest thing is that even Republican politicians come to believe it. They mistake media for reality. They pre-emptively surrender to armies that don't exist.

CNBC's Kernen doesn't see it that way: "David Brooks is a conservative? You tell Rush that his $100M a year, or whatever he makes, isn't real."

FishbowlDC was on the red carpet last night for the premiere of Michael Moore's new film, "Capitalism: A Love Story." Moore told us that among his favorite interviews promoting the movie have been with Martha Stewart and Bill Maher. And perhaps just as unshockingly, his least favorite: "Probably the 'Power Lunch' guys at CNBC. They had me fly all the way to New York yesterday to be the guest anchor for the hour. I was on for about six minutes and I guess someone decided 'we can't let him say anything else on the network.' I was kind of told goodbye and that was that." FBDC has the interview.

FishbowlDC also caught up with ABC's Terry Moran who has an interesting take on the flm. "It will surprise people because it's so religious, so openly spiritual:"